Sodium hypochlorite solutions are commonly used and highly effective as bleaches and sanitizers for cleaning a variety of surfaces. However, sodium hypochlorite solutions are extremely corrosive to many treated surfaces, in particular, metal surfaces become highly corroded. Hypochlorite solutions corrode surfaces as a result of its composition of sodium hypochlorite, sodium chloride and often sodium hydroxide, each having distinct mechanisms of corrosion. Sodium hypochlorite is a strong oxidant causing metal corrosion through a redox attack. Sodium chloride attacks and penetrates the passivation layer of metals, resulting in pitting of the surface. In addition, sodium hydroxide is corrosive to metals as a result of formation of metal hydroxide. Additional descriptions of the mechanisms of corrosion are disclosed in Corrosion Basics, National Association of Corrosion Engineers, 1984.
It is an objective of the claimed invention to develop corrosion inhibitor compositions to simultaneously prevent all corrosive mechanisms of sodium hypochlorite solution on metal surfaces.
A further object of the claimed invention is a corrosion inhibitor composition capable of preventing metal corrosion caused by sodium hypochlorite solutions without adversely impacting the stability of the hypochlorite solution.
A further object of the invention is to provide methods for hypochlorite corrosion inhibition.